Novel golf flagstick incorporating a mechanized system for ejection of golf ball from the golf hole

ABSTRACT

The present invention comprises a novel golf flagstick which complies with the official rules of golf and consists of a flagstick with a ball ejection cylinder located four feet above ground level. The ball ejection cylinder is lifted by hand or with the shaft or grip of a golf club to eject the golf ball from the golf hole without the need to reach into the hole and without any damage to the sensitive grass turf surrounding the golf hole. In preferred embodiments, the ball ejection cylinder is color coded to provide golfers with an indication of the position of the golf hole on the golf green (red: front, white: middle, blue: rear) and incorporates a reflective strip for easy targeting of the flagstick by commercial laser distance measuring devices. In preferred embodiments, the ball ejection cylinder easily snaps on and off of the flagstick allowing for easy changing of the cylinder color with the daily repositioning of the golf hole on the golf green.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel golf flagstick that adheres tothe rules of golf and incorporates a self contained mechanized systemfor ejection of a golf ball from the golf hole without removal of theflagstick and without the need to reach into the golf hole.

BACKGROUND

In 2019 the official rules of golf were changed allowing for a golf ballto be holed from the surface of the golf green without removal of theflagstick from the golf hole. While it is still permissible to removethe flagstick prior to holing the ball, many players are choosing toputt with the flagstick in place.

Removal of the golf ball from the golf hole with the flagstick in placeis difficult, as the space between the flagstick and the hole edge isonly two inches and the ball rests a minimum of four inches below thesurface of the golf green. Furthermore, removal of the golf ball underthese circumstances can result in damage to the sensitive live turf thatsurrounds the golf hole.

In 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic lead to the development of certaindevices for ejection of a holed golf ball in an attempt to reduce thenumber of contact points in and around the golf hole. Some of thesedevices can result in turf damage around the golf hole and some do notcomply with the official rules of the game of golf.

Therefore, a need exists in the field for a novel flagstick thatcomplies with the rules of golf and allows for easy ejection of a golfball from the golf hole without damage to the surrounding turf. Otherfeatures, such as color coded indication of flagstick position on thegolf green, (red: front, white: middle, blue: rear) and reflectivesurfaces for easy targeting by commercial laser distance measuringdevices can also be incorporated in the novel design.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a novel golf flagstick which complieswith the official rules of golf and consists of a flagstick with a ballejection cylinder located four feet above ground level. The ballejection cylinder is lifted by hand or with the shaft or grip of a golfclub to eject the golf ball from the golf hole without the need to reachinto the hole and without any damage to the sensitive grass turfsurrounding the golf hole. In preferred embodiments, the ball ejectioncylinder is color coded to provide golfers with an indication of theposition of the golf hole on the golf green (red: front, white: middle,blue: rear) and incorporates a reflective strip for easy targeting ofthe flagstick by commercial laser distance measuring devices. Inpreferred embodiments, the ball ejection cylinder easily snaps on andoff of the flagstick allowing for easy changing of the cylinder colorwith the daily repositioning of the golf hole on the golf green.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an exampleand are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, inwhich like reference may indicate similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts an overall view of a novel golf flagstick according tovarious embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an expanded view of the ball ejection cylinderaccording to various embodiments described herein.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b depict cutaway internal views of the cross-section ofeach half of the ball ejection cylinder according to various embodimentsdescribed herein.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of each half of the ball ejection cylinderinstalled on the flagstick according to various embodiments describedherein.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the ball ejection saucer according tovarious embodiments described herein.

FIG. 6 illustrates top and bottom views of the ball ejection sauceraccording to various embodiments described herein.

FIG. 7 illustrates the attachment of the ball ejection saucer to theflagstick via the lower lift mechanism according to various embodimentsdescribed herein.

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b depict the movement of the ball ejection saucer inejecting the golf ball from the golf hole according to variousembodiments described herein.

FIG. 9 shows the upper and lower lift mechanisms and the lift cableaccording to various embodiments described herein.

FIG. 10 shows the installation of the upper and lower lift mechanisms onthe golf flagstick according to various embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specificembodiments only and is not meant to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of oneor more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singularforms of “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural formsas well as the singular forms unless the text specifies otherwise. Itwill be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or“comprising,” when used in this specification, refer to the presence ofstated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components but donot preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical, scientificand/or golf-related) used herein have the same meaning as commonlyunderstood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which thisinvention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such asthose defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted ashaving a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context ofthe relevant art and the present disclosure will not be interpreted inan idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number oftechniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefitand each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in somecases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sakeof clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possiblecombination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion.Nevertheless, the specifications and claims should be read with theunderstanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope ofthe invention and the claims.

A novel golf flagstick, adhering to all of the official rules of golf,and incorporating a mechanized system for ejection of a golf ball from agolf hole is described herein. In the following description, for thepurpose of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in orderto provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will beevident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present inventionmay be practiced without these specific details.

The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of theinvention, and is not intended the limit the invention to the specificembodiments illustrated by the figures or description below.

The present invention will now be described by referencing the appendedfigures representing preferred embodiments. For all figures, scale andmeasurements are subject to minor modification in subsequent developmentof the invention.

A list of invention parts and related items for the appended figuresfollows. Parts associated with the invention include but are not limitedto items on this list.

-   -   1. Flag;    -   2. Flagstick;    -   3. Ball ejection cylinder;    -   4. Reflective strip;    -   5. Golf hole    -   6. Ball ejection saucer    -   7. Flagstick well in ball ejection cylinder (part no. 3);    -   8. Female connection receptacles in ball ejection cylinder (part        no. 3);    -   9. Round lift mechanism receptacle in ball ejection cylinder        (part no. 3);    -   10. Hexagonal lift mechanism receptacle in ball ejection        cylinder (part no. 3);    -   11. Male connection pins in ball ejection cylinder (part no. 3);    -   12. Round male connector on upper lift mechanism (part no. 25);    -   13. Hexagonal male connector on upper lift mechanism (part no.        25);    -   14. Flagstick slot for lower lift mechanism (part no. 25);    -   15. Center hole in ball ejection saucer (part no. 6);    -   16. Well in ball ejection saucer (part no. 6) for hexagonal end        of lower lift mechanism (part no. 25);    -   17. Well in ball ejection saucer (part no. 6) for round end of        lower lift mechanism (part no. 25);    -   18. Shaft well in ball ejection saucer (part no. 6);    -   19. Round fixed head of upper lift mechanism (part no. 25);    -   20. Hexagonal detachable end of upper lift mechanism (part no.        25);    -   21. Shaft in upper and lower lift mechanisms (part no. 25);    -   22. Lift cable;    -   23. End view of round fixed head of lower lift mechanism (part        no. 25);    -   24. End view of hexagonal detachable end of lower lift mechanism        (part no. 25);    -   25. Assembled upper and lower lift mechanism;    -   26. Cutaway view of round fixed end of lower lift mechanism        (part no. 25);    -   27. Cutaway view of hexagonal detachable end of lower lift        mechanism (part no. 25)    -   28. Golf ball.

FIG. 1 depicts, according to various embodiments of the presentinvention, an assembled and installed view of the external elements thatmay comprise a novel golf flagstick, which complies with the officialrules of golf and incorporates a mechanized system for ejection of agolf ball from the golf hole. In preferred embodiments, the mainexternal elements of the device include a fabric or canvas flag 1measuring 14″×20″, a metal or composite hollow cylindrical flagstick 2measuring 7′ in length and 0.5″ in diameter, a plastic ball ejectioncylinder incorporating a reflective strip 4, and a ball ejection saucer6 that elevates to eject a golf ball from the golf hole 5 upon raisingthe ball ejection cylinder 3.

FIG. 2 shows an expanded external view of the ball ejection cylinder 3in position around the flagstick 4. In preferred embodiments, the ballejection cylinder may be made of plastic and may be colored (red, white,or blue) to indicate the relative position (front, middle, or back) ofthe golf hole on the golf putting surface (green). In preferredembodiments, a reflective strip 4 may circle the equator of the ballejection cylinder 3 allowing for easy targeting of the invention bycommercially available distance measuring laser devices.

FIG. 3 a depicts a cross section (internal) view of one half (“lefthalf”) of the ball ejection cylinder 3. A flagstick well 7 runs throughthe center of the ball ejection cylinder 3. In preferred embodiments,female connection receptacles 8 allow for fastening together of the leftand right halves of the ball ejection cylinder. A round receptacle(well) 9 allows for connection of the left half of the ball ejectioncylinder to the upper lift mechanism 25 depicted in subsequent figures.

FIG. 3 b depicts a cross section (internal) view of one half (“righthalf”) of the ball ejection cylinder 3. A flagstick well 7 runs throughthe center of the ball ejection cylinder 3. In preferred embodiments,male connection pins 11 allow for fastening together of the left andright halves of the ball ejection cylinder. A hexagonal receptacle(well) 10 allows for connection of the left half of the ball ejectioncylinder to the upper lift mechanism 25 depicted in subsequent figures.

In preferred embodiments the left and right halves of the ball ejectioncylinder 3 fasten together around the flagstick 2 as depicted in FIG. 4. The male connection pins 11 fit snugly into the female connectionreceptacles 8. The round male connector on the upper lift mechanism 12fits into the round lift mechanism receptacle 9. The hexagonal maleconnector on the upper lift mechanism 13 fits into the hexagonal liftmechanism receptacle 10 thereby attaching the assembled ball ejectioncylinder 3 to the upper lift mechanism 25 (depicted in subsequentfigures).

FIG. 5 depicts the ball ejection saucer, which may be made of durableplastic, encircling the flagstick 2. In preferred embodiments, upper andlower flagstick slots 14 are cut into the flagstick allowing forconnection of the external and internal components of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 presents both a top view and a bottom view of the plastic ballejection saucer 6. A ⅝″ to ¾″ hole is cut in the center of the ballejection saucer to accommodate the flagstick 2. Wells are molded intothe bottom of the ball ejection saucer 6 to accommodate the variouscomponents of the lower lift mechanism 25. These include a well for thehexagonal end of the lower lift mechanism 16, a well for the round endof the lower lift mechanism 17, and a well for the shaft of the lowerlift mechanism 18.

FIG. 7 depicts the assembly of the ball ejection saucer 6, the flagstick2, and the lower lift mechanism 25. The ball ejection saucer is fed ontothe flagstick from the top and is secured onto the lower lift mechanism.

FIG. 8 a depicts the lower end of the device in place within the golfhole 5. The holed golf ball 28 rests on top of the ball ejection saucer6. In preferred embodiments, the upper surface of the ball ejectionsaucer slopes away from the flagstick 2 such that the golf ball 28 restsagainst the edge of the golf hole 5.

FIG. 8 b demonstrates ejection of the golf ball 28 from the golf hole 5.When the ball ejection cylinder 3 is raised approximately 4″, the ballejection saucer 6, which is connected to the ball ejection cylinder 3via the upper and lower connection mechanisms 25 and the internal liftcable 22, moves up approximately 4″ from the bottom of the golf hole 5to just above surface level. The vertical arrows in FIG. 8 b depict thismovement. The golf ball 28 is lifted above surface level and rolls downthe slope of the upper surface of the ball ejection saucer 6 and awayfrom the golf hole 5. The horizontal arrow in FIG. 8 b depicts thismotion. When the golf ejection cylinder 3 is released, the ball ejectionsaucer 6 returns to the bottom of the golf hole 5.

In preferred embodiments, the upper and lower lift mechanisms 25 areconnected by a lift cable 22 than runs through the hollow shaft of theflagstick 2. FIG. 9 depicts this connection. The round ends of the upperand lower lift mechanisms 19, 23 are fixed to the shaft 22. Thehexagonal ends of the upper and lower lift mechanisms 20, 24 thread onto the shaft 22 allowing for assembly of the invention. All parts of theupper and lower lift mechanisms 25 are fabricated from durable rustproofmetal.

FIG. 10 depicts the assembly of the upper and lower lift mechanisms 25on the flagstick 2. The shaft 21 feeds loosely through the flagstickslots 14 and through the loops in the connection cable 22. The hexagonalends of the upper and lower lift mechanisms 25 thread on to the shaft 21securing the left mechanisms in place on the flagstick 2.

Preferred materials for elements of the present invention have beendescribed however the device is not limited by these materials.

The present invention has been illustrated and described with referenceto preferred embodiments however, it will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art, that other embodiments may perform similarfunctions and may achieve similar results. All equivalent embodimentsare within the scope of the present invention and are intended to becovered by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A novel golf flagstick compromising: a. a ball ejection cylinder; b. a ball ejection saucer.
 2. The novel golf flagstick of claim 1 adhering to the official rules of the game of golf. 